Santiago's 4th Guarantee Court scheduled journalist José Antonio Neme's formal investigation hearing for December 23 at 10:00. He is being investigated for a collision that seriously injured a Venezuelan motorcyclist on August 7 in Las Condes.
BioBioChile reported that the Las Condes Local Prosecutor's Office, through Assistant Prosecutor Juan Pablo Duhalde Durr, requested the hearing. According to ADN Radio, citing La Tercera, the Public Prosecutor's Office submitted the request on October 2.
A formal investigation hearing is when prosecutors officially notify a suspect, before a judge, that they are investigating them for a specific offense. It is neither an indictment nor a conviction. The case is under investigation, and Neme has the status of a suspect.
Prosecutors allege that he committed the completed offense of negligently causing serious injuries as the perpetrator. This means causing serious injuries through recklessness or negligence, without intent. The court's ruling warns that if the Mucho Gusto host fails to appear without justification, "he will be brought in by law enforcement".
The events are described in the criminal complaint filed by the victim's lawyer, Marcelo Veas. According to that document, at 22:48 Neme was driving a Mazda along Alonso de Córdova Avenue and stopped at a red light at the intersection with Los Militares Avenue.
The complaint cites municipal camera footage reviewed by Carabineros. It states that the journalist started moving again before the traffic light changed and struck the motorcycle of Héctor Daniel Castro Hernández, who had a green light. Castro worked as a delivery driver.
According to the complaint, the motorcyclist suffered high-energy multiple trauma and fractures to his right femur, leg and ankle, as well as his face. He spent 11 days in hospital, underwent surgery twice and suffered significant loss of vision in one eye. A medical report classified the injuries as serious.
The same filing states that Neme's blood alcohol level was 0.00 grams per liter and that he was released after his arrest on the instructions of the prosecutor on duty. It also acknowledges that Castro did not have a valid license, although it maintains that this fact is "entirely unrelated to how the accident occurred".
Angelo Rojas, Neme's defense lawyer, confirmed that the parties reached a "fair and satisfactory agreement aimed at compensating for the damage caused". He added that they will present it to the court. The sources do not disclose the terms of the agreement.
For that reason, Cooperativa and ADN Radio report that the hearing could include an alternative resolution, meaning a way to close the case without going to trial. The judge will have to assess it on December 23, when deciding how the proceedings will continue.
